Global Digital Rights Coalition for WSIS (2025/26)

The following is archived content. See the current GDRC website.

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The GDRC-WSIS is a collective of civil society organisations from the Global Majority and Global North, offering our shared expertise to advance human rights and multistakeholderism in the WSIS+20 review process. We believe that the WSIS+20 review process and its outcomes should be anchored in international human rights law, and require meaningful multistakeholder engagement and procedures.

As a collective, we are committed to working with UN member states and other stakeholders throughout the review to ensure that its outcomes respond to the full range of challenges faced by our societies to achieve a people-centric and rights-based digital future.

Our members are: 

Access Now – Association for Progressive Communications (APC)
ARTICLE 19 – Center for Communication Governance (CCG)
CyberPeace Institute – Data Privacy Brasil – Derechos Digitales
Digital Rights Foundation – DW Akademie
the European Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ECNL) – FactSpace West Africa
Fundación Multitudes – Global Forum for Media Development
Global Partners Digital (GPD) – Global Network Initiative (GNI) 
the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL)
ICT Watch – Media Foundation for West Africa – Paradigm Initiative
Research ICT Africa – STOPAIDS – Tech Global Institute
WACC – Weiba Foundation – WITNESS

The following is archived content. See the current GDRC website.

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The GDRC-WSIS is working to achieve the following priorities:

1. Promote a human rights-based, people-centric, sustainable and development-oriented approach to the WSIS+20 review:

Ensuring that the review and implementation of the WSIS action lines and outcomes are anchored in international human rights law. This includes strengthening the WSIS framework to safeguard against human rights abuses including surveillance, Internet shutdowns and censorship; promoting rights-respecting regulation; and formally recognising the role of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

2. Advance the multistakeholder approach to global Internet governance and digital policy processes:

Including through promoting the practical implementation of the Sao Paulo Multistakeholder Guidelines, which will create more open, transparent, accessible, equitable, and inclusive policymaking at all levels.

3. Strengthen the WSIS vision and its institutions like the Internet Governance Forum (IGF):

Preventing the WSIS institutions from being subsumed into or diluted by other digital governance processes and ensuring the continued existence and effectiveness of the IGF. New global digital frameworks, such as the Global Digital Compact, should be implemented through the WSIS architecture.

The following is archived content. See the current GDRC website.

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The coalition has published the following joint publications:

• Global Digital Rights Coalition Joint Submission to the Global Dialogue on AI Governance
• Global Digital Rights Coalition for WSIS (GDRC-WSIS) Input to the Zero Draft of the WSIS+20 Outcome Document
• Global Digital Rights Coalition for WSIS (GDRC-WSIS): Joint Input to Elements Paper for the WSIS+20 overall review
• Civil society joint input: ITU Council Working Group on WSIS & SDGs Call for Inputs on the WSIS+20

• GDRC-WSIS Statement on Strengthening Human Rights and Multistakeholder Visions in the WSIS+20 Outcome Document
• Joint Statement on WSIS & Human Rights: A Fundamental Relationship [Co-authored Global Digital Rights Coalition for WSIS (GDRC-WSIS), the Global Digital Justice Forum (GDJF) and ICANN’s Noncommercial Stakeholder Group (NCSG)]

Members of the coalition also contributed to the following cross-stakeholder publications:

• Five-Point Plan Follow-up: Eight Practical Recommendations [Cross-stakeholder]
• Five-Point Plan for an Inclusive WSIS+20 Review [Cross-stakeholder]

We will update this page with details of our events and publications.

The following is archived content. See the current GDRC website.

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We are a dynamic, outcome-focused coalition, and welcome new members from civil society organisations who align with our priorities and share our values of collaboration and impact.

Other ways to engage in the WSIS+20 review:

1. Check if your government is holding national consultations to inform their approach to the review process.
2. Participate in consultations held as part of the intergovernmental preparatory process. For more information, UN DESA’s website with the latest news on the WSIS+20 or visit GPD’s Digital Governance Calendar.
3. Subscribe to ICANN’s WSIS mailing list by clicking here.